Information technology (IT) administrators in many organizations are frequently required to respond promptly to changes in IT infrastructure requirements, as those changes arise. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon that, during the installation of a software product on an IT resource (such as a server, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, a computing peripheral or any other device on which software products can be installed), it is found that the IT resource has insufficient capacity or an unsuitable configuration for the software to be installed. In such cases, if an update to a resource is required or an alternative resource must be procured, a delay occurs between receiving the software (such as from its vendor) and installing the software. For the deployment of distributed software, such as involving a combination of products in a heterogeneous environment such as a Grid (i.e. a networked collection of IT resources configured for coordinated resource sharing), this would mean multiplied cost as a heterogeneous pool of resources is involved.
One existing approach involves providing an installation guide detailing system requirements for a product installation. The system administrator manually ensures that all the requirements are met by the resource. Another existing approach uses a software product's installer to analyze—during installation—the resource and provide details of any shortcoming of the resource that prevent successful installation.
Another existing approach involves a system administrator's contacting the vendor's support desk for assistance. This can also introduce delay and expense into the installation process.